Tunneling machine



Oct. 25, 1938. D, M. HOLLINGSWORTH 2,134,478

TUNNELING MACHINE Filed May l1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORHOLLINGSWORTH BY 7 "4Q/5 DENzlL M ATTORNEY Oct.' 25, 1938- D. M.HOLLINGSWORTH TUNNELING MACHINE Filed May l1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEY SQL u done by manual labor'where the earth is of such PatentedOct. 25, 1938 i `U NlTEDf Pfaire154171` VoFFlci-zv p Y VV.2,134,478 a AY* v TUNNELVING MACHINEV Denzl M. Hollingsworth, Louis, M0., assignorto` Equipment Rental Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation ofMissouri Application May 11.,v 193s,-seria1 No. 207,257`

n ,Y scams., (ol. @1 -85) Y My invention vrelates to ttunnelingmachines,

and has for its principal objectlto produce 'such a machine relativelycheaply, and one which is highly eicient in performance. Tunneling,particularly for sewer Workl and the like, is generallyL consistencythat it can be removed bypick and shovel. This isnecessarily a slow andexpensive method. Y Such efforts to, use a machine to re`-" place manuallaborof which I have any knowledge have not been particularlysuccessful,v due, I believe, to cumbersome "mechanical methods andarrangements and the rather slow advancing movement of `such a machine.1 yItis `to be understood that `where the tunneling is in rockyrnaterialmy tunneling `machine `is' notusually applicable, for much of suchmaterial must'befblasted out. My machine is particularlyapplicable wherel 2?), the earth is clay, marl, shale, orfsuchothermateriall and wheremen with pick and shovel could most effectively work. By experience I`have found that by using my machine I can progress at approximately aspeedroffone foot per minute while drilling. vIn sewer constructionworksuch sults in a speed in tunneling is Vhighlyimportant` and regreatsaving in the cost of constructing asewer. Y L

By vmymechanical set-up the tunnel is advancedrandtheV sewerconstruction work` is like- Wise progressively carried forward, and whenthe sewerl is completed' my mechanism is all subject to Withdrawalthrough the completedsewer Without injuryor detriment thereto(` Animportant'feature of my inventionfis that I employ a forwardlyjmovable`shield which is advanced by means' of hydraulic jacks; approximatelytwenty-four inches'aheadof the drilling device, and -whichdeflnes 'theupper portionrof thesewer. f The drill `then removes the earth within acylindricalradius/inside said shield, and the earth so removed iscarried'onwa traveling conveyor `to cars into which saidearth is,discharged, andas each car is filled with such earth `itmay be pulledout of @the sewer and dumped.

Horseshoe shaped shields havenot been successfully jacked due totheirtendency to rotate, therefore a still further important feature ofmy inventionv is thatifand whenthe shield tends to rotate during` thedrilling'operation andthus produce a tilted arrangement of said shield,I can reverse the cutting blades on-the rotatable drilling member, whichcauses the shield to rotate in 'the oppositedirection, andfthus Ican'restore said shield to its normal position'.- If `such rotationcontinues to the detrimentof the vdrilling Vindependently of said'drilling device.

These cuttingblades are readily accessible and can-be changed in arelatively short time.

`I preferably `advance my drill by using one hydraulic jack bearingagainsta portion of the carriage upon which my drill is mounted. Asstated before, all the mechanical equipment which I employ can `bedismantled and the several parts freely removed through the completedtunnel;

' -The shieldisfkeptlon line and grade by varying the pressure -thereonby different hydraulic jacks which are used to advance said shield. Bymyl invention a minimum amount of manual labor is necessary and only oneroperator for 'the machine is required. l Y Fig. :1 isalongitudinal,`secticnal view showing the drilling device andloadingsystem.

yFig. 2 `an enlarged section of the drilling portion of the mechanism. A

Fig. `3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing thedrilling head partly in elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 4 is -a detail section taken on line 4--4 of FigQB.

Fig. 5 is across-section taken on line 5-5 of y `Fig. 6 isacross-section taken on line 6 6 of l'gQZ.' f "7 is a section taken online 'l--i'i of Fig, 3.

Fig. 8is"a horizontal section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6, showing thejack-positioning means.

vI nthe drawings `A designates a longitudinally movable shield forwardlymovable in a tunnel B, so as to penetrate the earth to be removed inth'e excavation of said tunnel. -C is a drilling device operable by amotor D mounted on a carriage E.

The drill neverV penetrates beyond the top of thesheldA, and this tendsto prevent falling or' caving of softmaterial.V lA series of hydraulicjacks E, usually six in number, are used to push the shield A forwardlyinto the earth. The drilling device C isfrnoved forwardly by' ahydraulic lack` G. A belt conveyor H is mounted in the upper part of theequipmentfor carrying back to dump cars` I the earth drilled out by thevdrilling device C.

I designates a forwardly extending portion of the shield A andispreferably tapered, as at 2, to facilitate the penetration of the earthby said portion l. This portion l preferably extends approximately abouttwo-thirds around the drilling device-C and-is capable of moving aheadof and In Figs. l and 2 the shield A has been advanced about two feetinto the earth ahead of the drilling device C. The shield A extendsrearwardly. a substantial distance, as shown in Figs. l and 2. As thedrilling progresses and the tunnel is cleared, corrugated liner plates 3are placed about the top and sides of said tunnel and serve assupporting means for said tunnel and one face of a wall for concretewith which said tunnel is lined, as shown at J in Fig. l, The concretelining is.' the usual lining employed in tunnel or sewer construction.

The hydraulic jacks F for advancing the shield A bear against an A-frame4 which is composed of the uprights 5 and rearwardly extending timbers Eand 6 which extend rearwardly and abut against the forward end of thefloor portion of `concrete J, which is preferably of quick-setting havea seven foot throw and a capacity of one v hundred and fty tons each.

The shield A is held in its expanded position by seven I-beams I0, whichare placed longitudinally of the shield (see Fig. 5), and twocircumferentially placed members II and I2, one near the front of theshield A and the other approximately two-thirds of the way back (seeFigs. l and 2). The beams I0 extend longitudinaliy of the shield betweenthese two members II and I2. Preferably the beams IEI and members II andI2 are bolted to the inner circumference of the shield A so that whenthe Shield is to be dismantled and removed from the sewer these partsmay be removed and the shield collapsed, thusrpermitting the readyremoval of said shield.l Y

The belt conveyor H is supported from the roof of the tunnel by thehangers I3, which have rollers Ill at the lower ends thereof over whichthe flexible belt conveyor H moves. The dump cars run on the rails I5placed longitudinally along the floor of the tunnel. One set of saidrails I5 may serve to receive another string of dump cars, and the beltconveyor H may be swung so as to discharge rst into one string of carsand then into the other string.

The drilling device C consists of a circular plate IS mounted on a shaftI1 which extends forwardly from the motor D, and is driven by saidmotor. Radial slots are provided in this plate I and are sufficientlywide to admit the earth cut away by the drilling device. At the edge ofeach side of these openings I provide angular supports IB which havethreaded openings Eil in the outer face thereof to receive threadedbolts i9 for securing the blades 20 in position (see Fig. 4). By thisarrangement the blades 2Q can cut away the earthy material against whichthe drilling device A abuts. The plate I@ is supported by a circularmember 2I, which is supported in any convenient manner and the cuteredge of which extends forwardly as at 22 to serve as a support at theforward edge thereof for the plate I5, which plate is revoluble. If yandwhen it is desired to reverse the cutting revolution of the plate I6,the blades 20 are detached from the side to which they have been boltedwhen the plate I6 was rotating in one direction and placed lon theopposite side of the opening and bolted to the angular support I9located at the side of said opening. If a horseshoe shaped sewer isbeing tunneled, I cut a circular opening and the earth 23 at the top ofthe shield A but above the top of the rotating plate 20 drops down andthrough openings provided in the forwardly extending part 22 of thecircular member 2l.

A sufficient space between the inner faces of the circular plate I6 andmember 2I is provided .to permit a series of buckets 24, carried by thecircular plate I6, to operate and thus as the earth passes through theradial openings in the plate I6 or drops from the upper, horseshoeportion of the shield A, it is elevated by the buckets 24 and dumpedtherefrom onto the belt conveyor H, which in turn carries it rearwardlyto a point over the dump cars I, into which said earth is discharged bythe conveyor H. The forward end of the conveyor H extends into the spacebetween the circular plate I6 and the member 2|, as shown in Figs. 1 and2. It will be understood that the motor D is reversible, but as themotor and its associated parts are no part of my invention, I am notillustrating or describing in detail said motor and its associatedparts, as any conventional type motor may be employed.

The drilling device C and motor D and associated parts are mounted on acarriage 25, which is mounted for longitudinal movement upon the rollers26 appropriately placed on the members II and I2. If necessary anappropriate supporting device for the upper portion of the motor D maybe supplied.

A hydraulic Vpump 21 is provided and is operable by a motor 28, Thispump supplies the water for the hydraulic jacks. The conveyor H mayfalsobe run by said motor 28 operable independently of the motor D.

The earth inthe lower corners of the horseshoe as shown at 29 can beremoved manually by a shovel and thrown into the buckets 24, and fromthem discharged onto the belt conveyor H.

The conveyor H is attached to the drill reduction drive driven by themotor D and moves forward with the drilling device as the hydraulic jackG drives the drilling device forwardly to makeit dig. Ihedrilling deviceC-is 8 feet in diameter,with two cutting edges which are designed to cutl inch of earthy material with each revolution. The device C rotates atapproximately 10 revolutions per minute. 'I'he peripheral speed of thedrilling device C is approximately 250 feet per minute, and the speed ofthe conveyor belt H is also 250 feet per minute, both being ample tovhandle approximately 18 inches of drilling per minute. The hydraulicjack G advances the drilling device C approximately 18 inches perminute, and said jack has a pressure up to 40,000 pounds. It will beunderstood that when the drilling device C reaches the forward end ofthe shield A, the drilling device is stopped and the shield is advancedforwardly a distance of about 18 inches and stopped. The shield A isadapted to be pushed forwardly by the application of the six jacks Fheretofore described.

Workmen are completely enclosed and protected at all times by the shieldA. By my device any settlement of adjoining ground is avoided, and onlythe actual material defined by the shield A is removed from the tunnel.

I claim:

1. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinally movable shield, meansfor advancing said shield, a drilling device capable of rotatable andlongitudinal movement, means for rotating said drilling device andmeansfor advancing said drilling device longitudinally, the

lface member of said drilling device being pro- .vided With radialslots, detachable drilling blades vice and means for advancingsaid-drilling device Cil longitudinally, the face member of saiddrilling device being provided withV radial slots, detachable drillingblades for attachment to either side of said slots depending upon thedirection of rotation of said drilling device, buckets connected to saiddrilling device for receiving earth removed during the operation. ofsaid drilling device, and a traveling conveyor adapted to receive saidearth from said buckets for conveying said earth rearwardly away fromsaid drilling device. v I

`d. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinally movable, expansibleshield,` longitudinal and circumferential `members for holding saidshield in expanded position, a drilling device capable o-f rotatable andlongitudinal movement, means for rotating said drilling device and meansfor advancing said drilling device longitudinally, the face member ofsaid drilling device being provided with radial slotsdetachable drillingblades for attachment to either side of said slots depending upon thedirection ofrotation of said drilling device, buckets connected tof saiddrill-f` ing device for receiving earth removed during the operation ofsaid drilling device, and a traveling conveyor adapted to receive saidearth from said buckets for conveying saidV earth rearwardly away fromsaid drilling device.

4. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinallyV movable, expansibleshield, means for holding said shield in expanded position, a drillingdevice capable of rotatable and longitudinal movement,meansfor rotatingsaid drilling device and hydraulic jacks for advancing said drill- V ingdevice longitudinally, the face member of said drilling device beingprovided with radial slots, detachable drilling blades for attachment toeither side of said slots depending upon the direction of rotation ofsaid drilling device, buckets connected to said drilling device forreceiving earth removed during the operation of said drilling device,and a traveling conveyor adapted to receive said earth from said bucketsfor conveying saidearth rearwardly away from said drilling device.

f 5. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinally movable,eXp-ansible shield, means'for holding said shield in expanded position,a drilling device capable of lrotatable and longitudinal .movement meansfor rotating said drilling devic-e and means for advancing said drillingdevice.

longitudinally, the face member of'said 4drilling device being providedwith radial slots, detachable drilling blades for attachment `to eitherside of said slots .depending upon the direction of rotation of saiddrilling device, a rear supporting element for supporting said facemember of said drilling device spaced apart from said face member,buckets carried by said 'face member and located in the space betweensaid face member and said rear supporting element connected to saiddrilling device for receiving earth removed during the operation of said'drilling device, and a ytraveling conveyor adapted to receive saidearth from said buckets forl conveying said earth rearwardly away fromsaid drilling device.

` 6. A tunneling machine comprising a longitudinally movable, expansibleshield having a forwardly projecting hood and side portions forpenetrating the earthy material, means for' holding said shield in,expanded position, means for advancing said,shield', ra drilling devicecapable of rotatable and longitudinal movement, means for rotating saiddrilling device and means ing device, buckets connected to said drillingdevice for receiving earth removed during the operation lof saiddrilling device, and a traveling `for advancing said drilling devicelongitudinally,

conveyor adapted Vto receive said earth from said buckets for conveyingsaid earth rearwardly away from said drilling device.

DENzn. M. HOLLINGSWORTH.

